To Save a Rogue Revised
by C. D. Lamarr
Summary: A Revised copy.
1. Chapter 1

To Save a Rogue

**To Save a Rogue**

_**Revised Edition**_

By:

C.D. Lamarr

July 9, 2008

**Chapter 1**

"_You want me to do what??"_

"It's the only way Raven."

Raven Darkholme—or the shape shifting Mutant known as Mystique—regarded the Telepath sitting across from her in unrestrained wonder.

"Why are you asking this of me Irene?"

"Because only you have the power to do it."

"Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do? Do you know what that girl is capable of?"

"Rogue's mutant powers", Irene pleads, "Are about to evolve! She's about to experience a power surge like no other Mutant! Without help—without intervention the process—could kill her."

The shape shifter's yellow eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What about Xavier", she snaps?

"Not enough!"

"_Charles Xavier_—_not enough??_ What have you been drinking?? Of course he's--

"Not enough", Irene interrupted.

"Charles Xavier is perhaps the most powerful Cerebral in--

Irene Danvers shook her head tersely.

"I know what Charles is capable of and I'm telling you it won't be enough. If Marie is to survive this transformation it will require both your powers—your power to protect her vital organs during the shift, the professor's to protect her mind and to prevent her going mad during the process and the power of one more."

Mystique looked aghast.

"What one more? Come on out with it!"

"She'll need to imprint the Wolverine's healing factor to repair any damage that occurs."

Mystique's eyes go wide.

"_Wolverine", she gasped, "Are you crazy!"_

"It will take all three of you to save her. Your powers working together will be the key to Rogue's survival!

"Do you actually think", grated the shape shifter, "That Xavier—let alone Wolverine would agree to work along with me—even under these circumstance?"

"Raven--

"It won't do Irene! They'll never agree to it!"

"Then", rejoins Irene flatly, "Marie—will die."

Mystique is silenced.

She dropped her head meditatively exhaling sharply. Rogue had long been an object of interest to Mystique. Long ago she'd seen the girl's potential—a staggering array of uncharted, untapped mutant abilities! She wanted all that power for herself! This is why she had adopted the girl in the first place when she was four years old and hid her in a back water of Mississippi.

The ability to absorb and use the powers of others would make her one of the most powerful Mutants on the planet. Even now, the girl's talents—_as Mystique herself could testify_—were formidable, and as she had foreseen would one day outstrip hers, Magneto's and even Xavier's! So much so that possibly in the future—_the very near future_ _if she was any judge_—physical contact would eventually become unnecessary. Once the girl's powers reached their full potential she would become in effect a Mimic. There was only one other Mutant who had been reputed to wield that kind of power: En-Sah-Ba-Nur—Apocalypse. Mystique had heard the stories but so far as she could tell they were merely legends. Rogue on the other hand was the real deal and she wanted a piece of the pie!

Such power—or the prospect of gaining control of it left Mystique feeling rather magnanimous upon the whole. For all her spite and her malice and her hatred Raven Darkholme could be a sage creature when she had a mind to. Rogue was becoming increasing difficult to handle as her power grew. And in all her maternal feelings and motherly affections and all, Mystique certainly didn't want her own daughter as an enemy—_especially not with that kind of power._ Only wickedest, most cruel—not to mention most foolish of mothers would deny herself all the advantages that went along with having such a daughter. She simply couldn't find it in her heart to do it.

The brutality of Rogue's power when she touched you—the burn of it as it tore through your Central Nervous System—like touching live wires and having their power burn through you like one of Storm's lightning bolts—she'd felt that too.

It would be a small sacrifice considering the reward.

And—she might have a little fun besides.

She always did like to get a rise out of the Wolverine.

Watching his temper explode—providing she could stay out of his reach, that was the sticking point—would be some pretty good sport! After months of inactivity she could use a little excitement just now.

But still she asks:

"And this is absolutely necessary?? I have to actually let her touch me??"

"It has to be done in the next few days—otherwise--

"Supposing I—were to do this", Mystique interrupts, "And I'm certainly not inclined to take so lethal a risk—in any event—how do you propose to get Xavier involved—and Wolverine?"

"Well--

"They'd never listen to me—so you can forget that."

"Maybe not", says Irene with a smirk, "But—I'm sure they'll listen to……….say

………._Juggernaut?"_

**Chapter 2**

Bottom of Form

"Now, remember: Keep Cyclops busy and away from everyone else. Keep the Phoenix isolated—those two must not be on hand to interfere with my plans."

"Well just what exactly are you trying to do Mystique", Pietro asked, "I mean what is it you want with them?"

"That's for me to know", grated the shape shifter, "And for you to obey orders! You just worry about Cyclops. With your super speed you should be able to evade his Optic blasts easily—and if you play your cards right you should be able to take him down."

"Wanda I want you to focus on Grey. Keep her away from Rogue, keep her away from me. I don't want her figuring out who I am until I'm ready to show myself."

Arms folded—brows knitted together like thunder clouds Wanda grunted her ascent and said nothing.

"But", said Toad in a rare burst of thoughtfulness, "I thought you said that with your advanced morphing ability an all that you could be right under the old crone's nose and he wouldn't be able to tell."

"You mean Xavier? Well yes, yes I did say that", muttered Mystique, "And it's true—but—just the same I won't take any chances. The Phoenix is potentially more powerful than the Professor himself—and her powers are growing."

"Oh", said Toad cleaning out his ears and flicking away the gore for the benefit of all to see, "Well—it's a good thang Wanda can get up on that and all—I mean otherwise I might have ta hurt her or somethin. Ain't that right sweet thang?"

"_Wanda"_, Mystique growled out in warning as the girl's hand had gone aloft to deliver an energy bolt, "Not now—you can flay his carcass on your time—right now you're on mine. We have more pressing matters at hand!"

Wanda glares at Toad.

"You'd better be thankful—_insect_--

"Now", snapped Mystique interrupting her, "Are we clear?"

"Absolutely", said Lance, "But you should let _me_ handle Somers!"

"No! Pietro can handle him. You and the others can take out Shadow Cat, Spike and the Night Crawler. And for stars' sake keep your wits about you—they're well trained!"

"But what about Rogue", Lance began but Mystique cut him off.

"No! And let me make it crystal clear that under no circumstances are _any_—and I mean _any_ of you—to go near Rogue or let her get near you! I will punish—_and pretty severely too_—any one of you who allows her to so much as look at you let alone touch you! Do we understand each other?"

The Mob generally took Mystique quite literally whenever she threatened punishment for disobedience. The shape shifter was a cunning fox and she could be pretty imaginative when it came to inflicting punishment.

"Yes Mystique. We understand."

Even Wanda grunted her comprehension of the threat and to do her credit she had every intention of obeying it. Rogue had about as much temper as she did and the spunk to match. The livid mark on the side of her cheek—the handprint that had branded itself permanently there would be forever a chilling reminder of their last encounter. No, she'd take on Grey anytime—she wanted nothing to do with Rogue.

"Good", said Mystique briskly, "Now go on and prepare the transport for Brooklyn—I want it warmed and ready in five minutes!"

They leave.

"Now", she said turning to Irene, "Let me see if I got this right: "You want me—_me_—to pick a fight……._with Wolverine?"_

"Well I--

"Woman have you taken leave of your senses?"

"Look I know how dangerous he can--

"_Dangerous",_ Mystique interrupted laughing scornfully, "That's the understatement of the century! _Dangerous!_ Irene I still bear the scars from our last encounter! I'm not exactly in a hurry to add to them!"

"Well—I mean—as you always say: It would a small sacrifice—for the greater good!"

Mystique stared.

"_Is that your best argument?"_

"Well you said yourself that Rogue has uncharted, untapped potential—vast reserves of Mutant power just waiting to be—_exploited?_

"An _investment_—_I said investment_—not exploit", Mystique growled as though that might make her reasoning any less vile!

"Well", says Irene in her most wheedling tone, "This might be the moment you've been waiting for to try whatever influence with the girl you may still have!"

"But--

"Once she has your memories she'll know you adopted her! And what child is there that wouldn't want to get to know her Parent? Well—what??"

This argument was irresistible.

The possibility of gaining influence over the girl and separating her from Xavier and the X-Men was too tempting to be combated—and Irene knew it—because she knew Mystique.

The girl been well trained—there was no denying that.

She certainly could use someone with Rogue's discipline on her team.

Blob—powerful though he might be—his mental endowments or rather his utter lack of them made his abilities more of a liability than an asset—a dumb jock of sorts but without any of the looks. Lance was too independent, Pietro treacherous, arrogant and vain, and Toad was—well—Toad. And then there was Wanda—uncontrollable, utterly unpredictable! Her emotional instability had a monstrous effect on powers that when out of control could easily destroy an entire Square.

And the girl wasn't all that discriminating whenever she unleashed them.

Not a very desirable companion.

As for the new recruits—she'd have to see them in action before making any assessments.

"Well", said she coming out of her abstraction, "I still don't see how it can be done! Since Magneto_ in all his wisdom", _and here the shape shifter snorted derisively, "Exposed our little secret to the rest of the world the X-Men have been even more cautious about using their powers openly—paranoid if you ask me--

"And with good reason."

"Which begs the question: How are we going to draw them out into the open without arousing suspicion? They're not easily fooled and you're no Xavier."

"I don't have to be in order for us to win."

"_No?" _

"Just have Juggernaut break a few things", Irene said with a smirk, "They'll show up—I guarantee it."

"And then", Mystique purred, her yellow eyes gleaming, "We'll see what can done about Miss Rogue."

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

**Chapter 3**

"I think it's a mistake to let Rogue go on this mission Charles."

Wolverine shook his head decisively.

"She's been actin really weird lately. She ain't focused enough to face Juggernaut!"

"She has to be", the Professor replied abstractedly, his fingers steepled underneath the cleft of his chin, "If Cain is to be stopped it will take all your powers combined to do it!"

"Which begs the question", Storm interposed, "Why aren't you going with us? We may slow him down Charles but your mind is the only thing that can stop him!"

"No, I think not."

Charles hesitated briefly before continuing.

"I believe", he said with a look of mystery about him that causes Storm's blue eyes to narrow in suspicion, "That the team can handle him! Remember Ororo they've faced him without me before! When Mystique abducted me and imprisoned me in that horrible cell, it was their united power that took him down! And with Logan along--

"Wait a minute—you mean Ro ain't goin with us!"

"Charles", Ororo began to protest when the Professor interrupted her.

"With Magneto still at large I need at least one of you to remain here with me and the rest of the students! And I need it to be you Ororo. Were Magneto to attack the Institute, the metal on Logan's bones would—_forgive me for saying Logan_—prove rather a liability giving the nature of Magnus' power and that helmet he wears shields him from my telepathy! If worse comes to worse, Ororo is the only other Level 5 Mutant who could survive and encounter with him!"

"I see", Ororo replied regarding Charles now with a look of intelligence that clearly showed she wasn't buying his story, "Very well. I'll stay behind then."

"And you still think it's safe for Rogue to go with us Chuck", Logan pressed?

"Er-yes Logan", said Professor—another of his mysterious looks passing briefly across his countenance, "As a matter of fact—I believe", here he hesitates again, "That she must go this time."

"Alright", Logan said with a shrug as he turned to go away, "Guess we better be off then. Hopefully there'll be somethin left of Soho Square ta save—that is if your brother ain't leveled it by now!"

"You know something", Storm said to him after making certain that Logan was out of ear shot—not that it would have made a whole lot of difference. Storm well knew that if the Feral really wanted to he could hear them three corridors away easily!

Charles hesitates—eyes distant and with a look of abstraction as though he were miles away.

"You know something", Storm repeats, "There's something you're not telling us—and I have a feeling that it involves Rogue!"

Charles turned and looked at her in surprise.

"How do I know? Well there was something about the way you insisted that Rogue be there and that in spite of the way she's been acting lately! What's going on Charles?"

The Professor sighed.

"Right now—I'm not really sure myself Ororo. Logan's right Rogue is changing! There's something about her Mutant ability—ever since the Niagara Falls Incident—that's—different!"

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure", the Professor replied abstractedly, "But lately I've been—picking up on conversations—on mental impressions that have convinced me that Rogue is on the threshold of a very dangerous shift in her development--

"You think she's in danger?"

"Remember what happened when Jean's powers accelerated out of control?"

"Yes", replied Ororo gravely, "She nearly brought down the entire Basement! She nearly killed us and herself into the bargain--

She stopped and looked at Charles.

"Now", said he, "Multiply _that_ times three—and you'll have some idea of what Rogue will be capable of if ever her powers reach that stage!"

"_Oh good god!"_

"We're talking about at Mutant whose powers are, for all practical intents and purposes, multi-dimensional! And unless—_certain things_ fall into place—or let's just say unless certain things are—allowed to happen—she would never survive such a transformation!"

Storm's eyes narrow again.

"You _let _her touch you yesterday—didn't you? That was no accident! You did it on purpose Charles—_Why?"_

"_Well let's just say—today was no accident!"_

"But with her power so unstable is it wise to let her go up against the Juggernaut—_now_??"

Charles merely looked at his friend for answer but replied:

"_That's not Juggernaut."_

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Bottom of Form

**Chapter 4**

_Force blasts, shockwaves, fire and smoke!_

Citizens scattering and darting for cover.

Soho Square swirled in confusion.

Concrete buckled, cars over turned, tanks twisted and mangled.

Police officers, retreat from before the unstoppable Juggernaut—his reputation alone enough to put them to flight.

The Juggernaut had played his part well—he'd drawn the X-Men out into the open—had lured them out into the Square so that the Brotherhood could catch them in ambush.

Now Mystique would do hers.

Darting between two buildings, a hulking figure blurred like water colors—shrinking, and becoming shorter, slimmer, more delicate—taking on a feminine aspect. And as the X-Men and the Brotherhood lock horns Mystique steps right into the midst of the maelstrom.

A clash of telekinesis rocks the square, filling the air with deadly missiles as Jean and Wanda trade light poles, slabs of concrete, big Rigs, Cherokees, Wagoneers, SUVs, and everything else that could be picked up and hurled.

Mystique had been right about Jean.

True the girl was at present occupied with Wanda—who was proving more than a handful. But even so Mystique realized with surprise and alarm that the girl was casting her telepathy in a wave and frequency that was creating a mental cloud over the Square.

And it was distorting everything.

She had no fears for herself. Her genetic enhancements, her advanced morphing ability provided a measure of protection against the mind of a Telepath.

Her students on the other hand—that was a different matter entirely.

The mental fog was as thick as Pea Soup and it was proving most effectual—disrupting the fluidity, hampering the effectiveness of the Brotherhood's attacks. And there was nothing she could do about it—this time. She had to let things run their course without interfering!

_The thought wave was irresistible._

Jean backed away deflecting objects sent hurtling through the air to crash against the invisible barriers she kept throwing up into their path.

But Wanda kept right on coming.

"_I shoulda known this was some of your shenanigan!"_

Mystique stiffened.

The hairs at the back of her neck stood suddenly on end.

The low rumbling growl—like the rumblings of a Panther—and a pretty angry one at that— jolted her mind back to business.

With a start of astonishment she turned—_well she had to look astonished any way._

She had seen Wolverine coming at her out of the corner of one of the large yellow eyes which took in everything—literally.

She'd known the instant he'd spotted her and she'd allowed him to approach—well that is allowed him to come within what she considered a relatively safe distance. But now that he had she suddenly decided that perhaps the fun she'd anticipated might be too dearly bought and she moved away in the opposite direction skipping into an aerial that carries her towards the safety of the transport that brought them there.

Wolverine was faster.

He skipped through the air in a single bounce so that by the time Mystique touched down he was he was already there to block her exit. She mutters a curse over his adamatium and his body cavities and everything else she can think of to pronounce curses over and as the Feral moved on her, she knew that she would to pay for this encounter no matter how it turned out. If she won she would pay—if she lost she would pay dearly.

The adamantium woven throughout Wolverine's skeletal system and overlaid onto his skull, vertebrae, and spine made his body like a virtual coat of mail. Hitting him was murder—being hit by him—_ugh_, she didn't even want to think about that scenario. Even with her morphing ability which allowed her to mimic certain types of metal she was going to need a serious rubdown when this was over.

"How did you get Juggernaut loose", Wolverine snarled as they begin to circle?

"_Well",_ crooned the shape shifter lifting her eyes waggishly, "But that would be telling now wouldn't it? I mean surely you wouldn't have me give away _all_ my secrets _dear_!"

"I got a few secrets of my own and you ain't gonna find em too dear!"

_"Dear me—how ominous!"_

_"You started this", Wolverine growled, "And now I'm gonna finish it!"_

She started back.

Wolverine popped his claws and pounced.

Running was useless.

The man simply moved too fast.

She only hoped one day Rogue would appreciate the sacrifice she was making! And it would be that! Few Mutants—the Master of Magnetism included—emerged from a scuffle with Wolverine without a few scrapes and bruises to mark the occasion!

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"You're telling me that Mystique is impersonating your brother? She set and ambush for Wolverine and the others—and you knew this??"

Storm looked at her friend aghast.

"You sent them into an ambush?? Charles!"

"I know", pleaded the Professor, "That it seems—out of character--

'You think??"

"Ororo", the Professor sighed deeply, "I don't like this anymore than you do but—I fear this was the lesser of the two evils."

"But _Mystique,_ Charles—of all persons! I'd feel better about them going to face Von Doom than to be left to _that_ woman's tender mercies!"

"Well I-I agree that Mystique can be rather--

"A vicious, conniving, back stabbing harpy—Mistress of deceit! And there's no _can_ about it!"

"Ororo!"

"Well?"

"I don't think you understand --

"No Charles I don't think you understand! I've never seen this side of you!"

"Storm", Charles replied in a firmer voice, "Rogue's condition is extremely precarious! Even with what I'm doing—or I should say what I'm allowing—the transformation is going to be brutal—could be fatal!"

"But what does Mystique have to do with it?"

"Her morphing ability", Charles answered, "Will protect Rogue's vital organs—

"And you sent them out there because you intend for Rogue to make contact with Mystique—to imprint her ability!"

The Professor nods the affirmative.

Storm looked doubtful.

"And you think Mystique is going to just stand by and let her do it?"

"It was Mystique's idea."

Storm looked him.

"Well—I—suggested it—

"_Oh Charles!"_

"Then what would you suggest Ororo? Mystique's shape shifting abilities are without question the most advanced in the entire country. Not even the Chameleon—powerful as he is could out shift her. She can manufacture organs, body parts, duplicate fingerprints, handprints, footprints, hair patterns, retinal patterns if she wanted to with just a thought. There isn't a Metamorph that can match her! Would you have me trust Rogue's well being to anything less?"

"Well", Storm replied relenting somewhat, "But why did she need to touch you?"

"My telepathy will keep her from losing her sanity during the process or from developing multiple personalities! I've spoken to you of my son, David."

"Yes?"

"I never told you this because—well—I didn't think you needed to know, but he's a very powerful Mutant with multifaceted abilities just like Rogue--

"Yes—and?"

"He's also insane.

Ororo stared.

"A Sociopath—without conscience, without remorse, without compassion, without sympathy, and with multiple personalities—every one of them equally twisted!"

"_Charles!"_

"And each personality—_so far I've been able to identify about five_—controls one or more of his powers!"

"_I-I didn't know!"_

"No you wouldn't. He's locked up in Arkham Asylum for the insane. All his records have been sealed. Can you imagine what

would happen if Mystique or even Magneto were to learn of his existence? _Trust me that is a scenario you do not want to see_."

"_Oh Charles!"_

"We cannot allow that to happen to Rogue", the Professor sighed, "Letting Mystique _imagine _that she's played us is a small price for Rogue's safety and well being!"

"I see."

"So for the present we won't interfere but we'll allow things to run their course--

"I think you should know that the Brotherhood has acquired three new Mutants—and powerful ones too! Three Elementals! The girl named Terra can move earth almost as good as Lance can; Calliope—_or Melodia as she calls herself_—is able to transfer sound into destructive blasts of energy; and the one called Hot Streak is about as insane as Pyro! But whereas John can only manipulate flames Francis can generate them as well!

"Yes, just like Angelica", Charles replied, "Cerebro identified them several weeks ago. Unfortunately Raven got to them first and then Emma Frost—

"You mean the White Queen?"

"Yes, she sensed Angelica and got to her before I could", said Charles with a shrug.

"I mean I can't see everything. Nor would I want that kind of power."

"You and me both."

"Although", the Professor mused as an afterthought, "I feel fairly certain Calliope, Terra, and Francis would have sided with Mystique regardless. Angelica on the other hand—when Emma's charms wear off as it soon will—then we'll see."

"But do you think our pupils are equal to the challenge? Remember what happened at Bayville Mall with Wanda—not to mention Madison Square when we first encountered the Acolytes."

"True but with Logan's ability to catalogue the strengths and weakness of any adversary on their side—I believe they'll be fine. Right now our primary concern—is Rogue! I was able—_and I might add with considerable difficulty_—to enlist _Miss_ Mystique's cooperation up to this point………………..

……………………….what happens from here we'll just have to wait and see."

**Chapter 5**

Soho resounded to the clash of metal.

Adamatium and steel come together again and again in hissing sparks that jumped from each into the air as Mystique and Wolverine squared off. Mystique backed away ducking—dodging closed ranged strikes keeping the adamantium at bay with the steel spikes her morphing ability allowed her to generate.

Wolverine stayed right with her—leaping, spinning and whirling—hands shooting out impossibly fast but Mystique holds her own against him blocking and parrying catching every stroke and turning it aside, overleaping ankle sweeps, finally falling backwards in a triple somersault in order to put some space between them and to launch another offense.

Jean and Wanda continue to trade back and forth! The Mutant known as Zero-G had tried intervening by erasing the gravity out from underneath Wanda's feet causing them to fly right out from under her. But Wanda had soon put a stop to that—cutting him short with a force wave that sends him rolling backwards across the Square thus severing his link with earth's gravity.

And now there was only the two of them.

Mystique—fending off a shower of blows—caught all the action from the corner of one the large yellow eyes that saw everything and missed even less! Wanda pressed Jean backwards across the Square towards the Brooklyn Bridge and park beyond, and Jean seemed to be giving way; but Mystique saw enough to understand what Wanda never would: _Strategy! _

Phoenix was Xavier's prize student and she was well trained.

Oh she seemed to be giving way before powerful telekinetic bursts that Wanda unleashed, but Mystique—as she turned a backwards flip in the air to deliver a solid thump to the chest—at which Wolverine is sent flying into a dumpster, she catches just how thoroughly the girl was dominating the contest—drawing Wanda's attacks to her parries, and leading her on to a place of her own choosing—a place where she'd already decided that the contest would end—for one of them at least!

It was inevitable!

Wanda was Magneto's daughter. The X-Gene ran strong in the house of Lehensherr. In the realms of Telekinesis few—including Jean—could match the raw power generated by Wanda—especially when her temper was roused. But there was a second aspect of Jean's mutant ability that decided the outcome even before it began: Whereas Wanda was a _head blind_ Telekine, Jean was not! And as any Telepath would tell you: Simply switch of the mind—and you switch off the power!

Jean backs her way across and underneath the Bridge and into the surrounding Park—flowing on wings of Telekinesis—drawing Wanda's fire. She was gifted and powerful like her father, but unlike him whenever Wanda's hot temper mastered her reason generally flew out the window. All it had taken was a few words tossed out by Jean calculated to rouse her ire and work her up into enough of a frenzy so that heedless and impulsive she never saw the trap she stalked right into with _eyes wide shut_. She had one thought only: Nailing that Grey girl and so focused was she on gratifying her hatred she never saw it coming.

The instant she crossed over into the Park Jean hit her with her Telepathy.

Wanda staggered backwards as though physically struck! Her thoughts splinter off, her visual acuity shattered, and her control evaporated in seconds as Jean severed every link between will and execution.

Five seconds later Wanda lay stretched insensible on the ground.

"_Fall back",_ Wolverine thundered as Mystique—now in the form of a Boa Constrictor—enwrapped him in a deadly embrace. Pinioning arms and legs, the shape shifter made certain that those claws were well out of range. And as she squeezed breath from him causing him to cough and gasp, she mused gleefully: _Now isn't this fun!_

The X-Men obeyed, falling back from before the Brotherhood of Mutants. The conflict spilled over into the Park beyond the Bridge. And between the new Mutants Terra, Hot Streak, and Melodia (Mystique's latest acquisitions), along with Lance and the others, the X-Men seemed to have met their match.

Waves of seismic energy rolled across the Square buckling concrete, oversetting cars, trucks, big rigs, phone booths, telephone poles and power lines. Brooklyn Bridge and its suspension cables rattle in concert with Melodia's Acoustical Blasts—some snapping free of their moorings in whipping strikes that descended on the retreating X-Men in punishing blows that drove them back so more. Melodia upped the volume. The hard rock melody shattered glass, caused bridge columns to run with hairline cracks and grass and paving to buckle and run in multiple seams like rivulets. X-Men go down covering their ears but the sound waves lance right through skull bones, wrecking havoc on eardrums and setting nerves on fire.

Lance and Terra followed up these pleasing attentions with seismic waves that sent cars rocketing into the park like bowling balls as they advanced. The Ground pitched and buckled under their combined strengths setting waves of seismic energy rolling across the park tossing ground like ocean currents and cutting a swath of destruction in their wake.

The X-Men can do little else scatter.

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"You're simply allowing them to brawl in the streets like this?"

"Take a look for yourself Stabler! That convict is simply too powerful even for our military—let along the NYPD."

"But Captain Kraigan—a

"The X-Men took him down before—I believe they can do it again."

"I disagree Sir!"

"You may disagree", retorted the Captain tightly, "But you dare not disobey! We are going to stand down and let the X-Men handle the situation."

"Sir I must protest—

"And you're more than welcome to make a formal complaint to that effect. For the present why waste fire power or risk lives unnecessarily—_simply because you don't like Mutants I might add_—when we can simply allow Xavier's Students handle them! I've known Charles for a long time! He's always used his power responsibly. Those are supposed to be his students. I believe they'll do the same! Now tell your men to stand down and fall back."

Stabler activated his COM link and said sourly.

"_Alright boys—we gotta to stand down!"_

"_Roger that! Can't see a thing anyway for all this bloomin fog!"_

Inside the Cerebro Chamber as the View Screen flickered away to static again, Storm regarded her friend with a good deal of unease.

"How long can you hold him inside that illusion—and from this distance too?"

"As long as I have to."

"And the officers in Soho—you're still keeping them _offline_??"

Xavier nodded affirmative.

"Is that wise?"

"Any interference on their part would only complicate matters. They'd be doing more harm than good—and to themselves I might add!"

"And Mystique?"

"That's a different matter entirely", the Professor said with a sigh, "I could only introduce the thought into her mind. I could do no more than that. I had no way of foreseeing that she would start a brawl in the streets!"

"This is Mystique we're talking about."

"True and her mental shields are the very devil to get past. You know as much as I hate playing the puppet master I certainly would have prevented her from causing all this if I could have!"

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_Flash! Flash! Flash!_

"_Arggggh!"_

Lance Alvers' black eyes rolled up in his head like window shades. His hands convulsed, his legs buckled beneath him and he dropped like a stone to the ground.

Rogue withdrew her hand from off him, placed her glove back on and turned away………………………

…………………..and walked right in Pietro's huge fists.

The impact was like a blast of dizzying white fire.

Quick Silver danced forward—danced to and fro—weaving right and left with bewildering speed! He was impossible to touch—and he knew it. He pressed Rogue backwards; Rogue backed away as fast as she dared—but not fast enough. Pietro comes on—fists of duristeel hammering left and right—they were everywhere!

In her encounters with the Brotherhood Rogue had faced Pietro several times and on at least two occasions she'd managed to latch on and to imprint his abilities. So that even after the effects of the Transference had worn off, aspects of Pietro's personality remained with her and she knew enough of the nature of his power to make her more of a threat than he realized. Enough to know that one of the weakness of super speed was its inflexibility, its lack of imagination, of the ability to improvise.

He was fast and he knew it. He knew that few Mutants could catch him and was vain enough to believe that Rogue wouldn't! The problem wasn't that he lacked other abilities—exactly, but that he tended to rely too heavily on his super speed. His ability to sprint away from danger made him reckless to the point of completely disregarding the need to cultivate other talents so that in case his primary gift failed him—which it did—he could have other resources to fall back on.

The thing about Speedsters like Pietro, or the Flash, or the other Mutant known as Light Speed, is that whenever they gained momentum it was difficult to pivot or to turn or to veer suddenly—not impossible just difficult. Because one wrong move and an ankle or even worse a vertebrae could be snapped, or other serious injuries could result.

Rogue knew this. And she'd imprinted this particular power enough times to know all of its weaknesses and its limitations—a fact Pietro seemed to have forgotten. He'd settled Cyclops—faster than he'd anticipated—and Spyke with even quicker dispatch—two down and one more to go—his victory made him just a little too sure of himself—in fact it had made him rather arrogant—and careless.

So that when Pietro came at her—fists shooting out impossibly fast dealing out terrible punishment— Rogue's took his next strikes and turned them into a weapon. He lashed out with a sneer because with Mystique's prohibition on touching Rogue firmly in mind, Pietro had taken the precaution of donning on gloves which meant no physical contact—well at least where she was concerned any way! As long as he kept her at arms length she couldn't touch him, and his gloves formed a protective barrier around his hand—or his fist—so that he could dish out as much punishment as he liked without receiving any in return.

Rogue takes the next blow and allows its momentum to roll her backwards through the air! Quick Silver—moving too fast to stop never saw it coming.

Earlier and unbeknownst to him, she had Imprinted Toad's power so that when he struck her and knocked her back she instantly pivoted in the air, latched onto a stop sign and swung back round to meet him. His momentum suddenly became a liability as Rogue comes at him—feet first.

Quick Silver's eyes went wide as his line of vision became suddenly filled with the soles of two steeled toed boots. Rogue lands him a solid thump to the chest.

The impact is like a blast of white fire!

A plate glass window explodes and collapses as he slams right into it! He hits the floor with a crash goes sliding hard across oversetting several shelves into the bargain.

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Jean's Mental Energy Bolts stung more that Mystique had thought! She could only imagine what it must have been like for Wanda when she'd hit her with it! They delivered a nasty jolt that sizzled all the way down through her toes—or tail—or whatever it was, like one of Storm's lightning bolts and were almost as potent as Xavier's.

In any event the shockwave had been just enough to convince her to release the hold she'd established over Wolverine and had spoilt all her fun into the bargain.

He'd just started turning blue or purple or some color when the thought blast struck her and forced her to let go. It'd also disrupted her concentration. She'd lost her shift and reverted involuntarily back to her baseline form. Wolverine shrugged her off and she'd hit the ground hard!

That had been several moments ago.

And now the man even in the midst of one of those healings of his was still coming after her.

He pounces.

She rolls hard right and flows quickly to her feet as he comes down with a crash that sends up an explosion of debris high into the air.

She retaliates launching a vicious assault!

**Chapter 6**

_Zaaap!_

"_Oooooooh!"_

"_Lights out……Sugar bear."_

_Flash! Flash!_

_Ugggh—one of these days……..ooooh………._

Rogue withdraws her hand.

As Pietro with a parting _uuugh_ for good measure, feinted dead away and went back to the floor with a crash. A touch to the neck or to the side of the face was the quickest way to drain and by far the most the most merciful!

"_Betcha you say that to all the girls Honey!"_

His head lolled to one side.

"Hey what about me", drawled Pete aka Zero-G with an impish grin as he levitated back down to the shop floor again?

He'd stuck Pietro's feet to the floor like a magnet—Rogue had done the rest.

"Aw shucks sweetie", Rogue replied grinning as she placed her glove back on, "You know I owe ya big time! Never coulda got him 'f you hadn't _snatched the rug out from under em_ when you did!"

"Yeah well", says the boy with a shrug, "I do what I can!"

"Trust you fer that!"

"Uh-oh!"

"Now what?"

"Over in the park! Nighty's in trouble!"

And for sure Night Crawler was in a rather distressing situation.

In his eagerness to aid Shadow Cat he'd ported accidentally right into

Blob's hand. And having it wrapped round his throat like some kind of Anaconda wasn't the most pleasant experience he could think of. Pinned, breathless, unable to summon enough concentration to jump himself free he hung like a limp doll within the big man's grasp.

Rogue and Z-G after exchanging glances were in motion in an instant as with a grimace Rogue removed her glove once more and said: "Looks like I'm about ta feel really big and stupid _again_ 'f ya know what I mean!"

"_Ugh"_, groaned Z-G, rocketing after her, "Better you than me!"

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Cackling maliciously, Hot-streak drove back the X-Men and scattered them from before him! A flooding down pour of flame hotter than a blast furnace spirals from above like coils and heat seekers that hit with the force of battering rams! Cars went up in blossoms of fire and smoke, poles and power lines sizzled and crackled under the Elemental's power—sending a black out wave across block after block of city blanketing Soho and the surrounding streets in darkness as the sun sank lower in the horizon.

Mystique—going hand to hand with Wolverine—exulted in her victory! At last—she had assembled a team of Mutants worthy of challenging Charles Xavier's—perhaps even better! They were certainly proving themselves a worthy foe! Soon the Brotherhood of Mutants would be more than a match for Xavier's wimps!

_And they called themselves X-Men!_

Already Cyclops lay somewhere in an unconscious heap along with Spyke, Berserker, and Ice Man! Berserker in his eagerness to nail Pietro, that is before Rogue had gotten hold of him, had zapped Cyclops and had in turn been nailed by one of Ice Man's artic blasts whenever he'd aimed at Quick Silver and missed, after which Pietro had settled him—_pathetic!_

Now if they could just take out the others—Phoenix, Zero G, the new Mutants Electros and Brainac—not to mention this maniac she was having to keep at bay, everything would go according to plan.

The Brotherhood was giving as good as they got and a good deal more—power pouring forth from their united assault.

The X-Men gave way before them and fell back.

Now to the untrained observer, Wolverine might seem nothing more than a mindless creature of rage but there was purpose in that brain of his that few people other than Xavier understood. He backed away from her—retreated when she attacked but it was for the sole purpose of getting her to follow so that he could angle the tide of the struggle away from the more heavily populated Square to inside the park which had cleared of patrons almost the instant the clash started.

He could be a formidable strategist whenever he took a notion and apparently a good actor. He'd taken quite a thrashing from Mystique and really seemed to be reeling from the effects of it. But Mystique wasn't fooled by the act. The more punishment she inflicted the more energy she expended and Wolverine was content to let her do it while he just kept bouncing back. Sooner or later she'd wear herself out…………………….and then………………..

Mystique let him get away with it—_this time_—because for once it coincided with her own purpose.

He'd fallen back, she came after him.

She had to in order to keep near him—in order for her plan to work.

Inside the Park Wolverine turned to close with her and Mystique comes to meet him! Hands shooting out impossibly fast she countered every move—taking care to keep those claws at bay.

She dodged left then right as she backed away from them and then turning quickly about she blocks another incoming strike. Then she came in with him back to back, delivered a sharp jab—a shot to the rib cage that pulled a grunt from him, finishing up with an open palm thrust to the face that sent him staggering back and a wheel kick that sent him flying hard into a park bench which collapses under the impact.

She darted after him.

But something had changed: Now that they had moved away from the Square the tide of the battle suddenly shifted.

Mystique grimaced as Jean suddenly went air borne.

Her hands jerked hard backwards in a TK blast that drove Hot Streak out of the sky. Her telepathy temporarily disengaged his thoughts from his flames so that he lost the power of locomotion that had kept him aloft and plunged downward. He hit the ground in a bone wrenching jolt and slide. Then Shadow Cat, who'd been watching for just such an opportunity, loomed up suddenly from underneath the ground and dragged him down!

Mystique flinched with anger.

But she refrained from interfering.

She couldn't—not if her plans were to work.

She had to get Wolverine close enough to Rogue …………………..

…………………….and it had to look like an accident.

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It all happened so quickly it was as the work of an instant—of a flash of time.

And it had happened almost immediately after Night Crawler had been snatched from his tender mercies. Blob had been so busy trying to shake—_with a good deal of satisfaction_—the life out of the Teleporter he never saw it coming until it was too late.

He shook—Kurt gasped for breath—and he shook some more. And while to Kurt it was probably the single most terrible experience he'd ever had, to Blob it was a famous piece of good fun and he rattled him back and forth so hard his teeth clanged together inside his head.

Pinned, breathless—it was all Nighty could do to remain conscious—let alone summon the concentration to _jump_—as Blob with a malicious snort gave him a shake and a squeeze for good measure.

Delighted to have an X-Man about the throat he never noticed that beneath him the earth's gravitational pull suddenly shifted so much so that when he went to give Kurt another good shake—he couldn't.

"_Wha--_

He tried again—no good.

"_What the--_

And then he couldn't move at all.

Zero-G's mutant ability enabled him to manipulate the gravity in any given area and whenever he focused on multiple objects his maneuvering could be almost as effective as Jean's telekinesis. He could erase gravity at will causing a person's feet to fly right out from under him, creating the sensation of weightlessness that exists in outer space or he could do the opposite: He could make a ninety-eight pound man move like he weighed five hundred. Under Xavier's training his range was beginning to increase; however, for the present his power was limited to the here and the now.

His knowledge of earth's gravity and what could be done with it gave him enough understanding into the nature of Blob's power to know that the big man was somehow able to tap into earth's gravity enough to root himself like a tree to the ground—thus his name _the immoveable_.

Which is exactly what Z-G was hoping he would do.

When he did it he merely amplified the intensity.

Even for a man of his tonnage Freddy Dukes' movements came with surprising rapidity and momentum. Whenever he massed himself on the other hand he could stop moving objects four times his size—but this came with a price: His movements were greatly hampered by the sudden shift in mass.

But then Z-G didn't want him move.

Rogue certainly didn't.

Of course she could have caught him easily—she had Pietro's power and Lance's for that matter. But for a big man Blob could move with surprising speed and was an astonishing jumper and could leap away without warning in order to dodge any danger his bulk couldn't handle. Even using the powers she'd just borrowed she'd probably still have to end up grappling with the big brute hand to hand before she could bring him down. She'd save that for when she had no other choice, but for now this was by far less troublesome.

He tried to move away—nothing happened.

And now that he couldn't Shadow Cat was able to phase quickly up from the ground, pull Night Crawler—who was pretty much out cold—free of his grasp, cutting up all his enjoyment and pissing him off.

It was when he tried moving again that the comprehension of what was happening gradually darted across him.

"_What??"_

He glared up at Zero-G and immediately tried breaking the hold the boy had established over his body. Needless to say his body refused to comply. He might be _the immovable_ but at this moment his reputation—not to mention his power were both working against him.

When that didn't work he tried a little blasphemy mingled with threats that ranged from doing something to body cavities to something about every bone in Zero-G's body once he got his hands on him or something like that. Z-G was unimpressed and kept on ramping up the gravity beneath him, increasing its strength and density so that his fury knew no bounds.

Then—he saw Rogue.

Now there were few things—_precious few_—that could succeed in frightening _the immovable_. But among the select few Rogue's touch ranked top of the list. He could stop a car moving at top speed, a tractor trailer—even a train come to that without breaking a sweat.

With few exceptions he was one of the toughest Mutants in the whole of New York—no physical punishment that he wasn't prepared to take. There was absolutely nothing that could steel him against the effects of Rogue's power whenever she touched him.

But ironically the worst part wasn't the actual experience itself (and that was bad). It was the memories of it afterwards! Patients in surgery who've accidentally woke before the procedure was done could possibly speak of feeling _less _agony.

_His whole world went white in an instant! _

**Chapter 7**

"_She'd done it!"_

Storm stared into the View Screen through the maelstrom as the blue skinned Mutant hurled Wolverine into Rogue and triggered the Imprinting. Storm grimaced in concert with her friend—with Wolverine as he gasped from the shock of physical contact. As the shockwave rolled across him like a Mack truck he groaned and convulsed, his big brown eyes rolling up like window shades as the Imprint latched onto his system like a lamprey and began sucking power.

Whenever a person accidentally touched live wires the current in the wires latches on the current in the body so that pulling away is next to impossible once ensnared.

With Rogue and Logan the result was pretty much the same.

When Marie tried pushing him away the wave spiked, surged, and accelerated so much so that it began to hack into the Feral's Central Nervous System.

Logan's power flowed out in wave on wave.

And Rogue's mouth formed an 'O' of astonishment as thoughts and memories that not even Logan couldn't recall—memories that had been locked away in a part of his brain he'd been unable to access for years—now began to flow into Rogue.

Flashes—imagery too awful—memories too horrible for words began to flood in, in torrents.

"_Oh good god!"_

_From outside Xavier mentally shuddered at the imagery that flowed both ways._

_Flashes: Bright lights, oxygen mask, stasis fluid—a teenage boy submerged._

_More Imagery: Doctors, doctor's aides, dressed in surgical gowns—gloved and masked._

"………_..but we must be careful William! We don't want to infect him!"_

"_Why not? The whole world's been infected with this scum."_

"_Wait! Aren't we going to sedate him?"_

"_For what?"_

"_William…..you can'………._

"_Let's precede gentlemen."_

"_But surely you don't want him……._

"_To feel it?"_

_A dry chuckle._

"_Actually—I do."_

_More horror: Surgical needles longer than any she'd ever seen. Bone saws, hack saws, drills for boring through cartilage and bone. A container filled with a molten, silvery liquid that Rogue instantly recognized from the information that flooded inside her and made her want to die in that instant._

_Her own bones ached and burned in the aftermath as the sensation of molten liquid burned into her consciousness in the manner it had burned its way through Logan's entire skeletal system. The boy's consciousness during the whole of it made the process all the more terrible._

_The smell of metal._

_The feel of it inside of her—through her entire body—like the foreign object that her body attempted repeatedly to reject but, gradually accepted and the horrible feelings and sensations that went with it. The fever, the nausea, the suffering as her body tried again and again to expel the leaden adamantium now apart of her. The months of struggle and discomfort before her body finally accepted the foreign substance, when finally it had bonded with and imprinted itself onto her DNA—all compressed into the minutes that it took for the absorption to complete. So that she swayed and nearly feinted dead away when it was done._

_Its uncontrollable nature notwithstanding, this effect in particular was one of the main reasons why Rogue hated her power! Any experience had by an Imprintee—no matter how brutal—whenever she touched another person those experiences came alive inside of her and it was as though she'd lived it herself._

_And that man—Stryker? _

_Yeah that was it—William Stryker._

_The smug look on his face during the whole of the process—oh how she wanted to wipe it off in a way he'd never forget. The monster hadn't allowed any anesthetics to be used during the operation—hadn't even allowed for neural suppressors to deaden the pain. He'd wanted Logan to feel every ache, to feel the fire that had burned through every nerve in his body and made him wish he were dead._

_The sadistic little man had enjoyed every scream, every plea for mercy, the look of hurt, the look of helplessness in the young boy's eyes, the sense of betrayal the boy felt that had degraded, demoralized, and desensitized him and changed him into the mindless creature of rage he'd become and had been until he'd met Charles Xavier. The monster derived a horrible enjoyment from it all and had actually been surprised when Logan—when he could move again—had retaliated. Had actually been enraged and insulted when he had escaped._

_All this Rogue saw in an instant in the flashes of memory that swept in rapid succession across her thoughts! Fortunately she realized as Wolverine's power bonds with and stores itself within her DNA that the rage and helplessness welling up inside her was merely a reflection of what Logan had felt on the day he became the Wolverine._

Rogue had imprinted Wolverine's power only once before and it was about as ungovernable now as it was back whenever she'd accidentally touched him the first time! The Professor had been mentally monitoring the process and with good reason.

Logan was a Level 5 Mutant.

Rogue now had his powers and mind minus his control (or what might pass for _him _as control). The feeling that he could whip the whole world and dare them to do anything about it, which generally characterized many of Wolverine's actions might not be the best mindset to have right now in view of the fact that she also possessed Lance's powers, Pietro's, and Blob's.

She just might try to do that.

Charles was an expert at multi-tasking.

Mentally holding the entire police force at bay, shooting a suggestion now and then to Mystique who was just vain enough to believe herself _completely_ impervious to his power, bolstering the talents of some of his students—mentally showing them new ways of using their powers in order to defeat the brotherhood of Mutants, casting a thought wave to Jean that resulted in subduing Wanda and taking her out of the conflict, were just a few examples of the man's extraordinary talents—all this while trying to come to the aid of a young girl on the cusp of Acceleration (a dangerous process for Mutants) and that for a mutant potentially more powerful than he was (probably a Level 7 by the time this was over).

Erik—suspicious and jealous of anyone he considered a threat or a rival (Von Doom for example)—and who'd had the vanity to proclaim himself the most powerful of all the Mutants—would probably have stood back and done nothing to aid Rogue but would have left her to her fate. He would pronounce Charles the greatest fool on earth for trying to save her. But save her he would.

In view of the provocation she was now under, the Frontal Lobe—responsible for impulse control—had to be stimulated beyond its normal level of activity, producing a calming effect that would protect her—_at least for the present_—and everyone else from any explosions of temper that might result in the unleashing of all those powers.

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Her timing could not have been better.

With a sudden twist and surge of her power the Shape Shifter morphed out of Wolverine's powerful grasp and stepped back away from him! Wolverine's left hand whipped out with astonishing speed in a chop that would have snapped a steel pipe in half, but Mystique was infuriatingly agile—almost as agile as he was. With one fluid movement she side stepped! And with a strength that belied her slender frame and build, she lifted him from the ground, twisting around in a one handed jujitsu and flipped him through the air end over end—right into Rogue.

Rogue, had just withdrawn her hand from off Blob—who went down with a gasp and crash that shook the ground—when she sensed the sudden stirring in the air behind her! Mistaking it for Toad she whirled to intercept him—palm extended outward.

When her vision became suddenly filled with the hulking form of Wolverine.

His eyes went wide and so did Rogue's.

With a gasp she tried to warn him off.

Wolverine tried while still in the air to pivot away from her.

He might as well have reached out and hugged the girl himself for all the good it did.

He plowed into Rogue hard.

Wolverine—tall, powerfully built—weighing in at 300 lbs of sheer muscle without an ounce of fat. Under ordinary circumstances Rogue might have had the life crushed out of her on the spot. But she had just imprinted Blob's immoveable inertia.

That in itself might not have done the mischief if Rogue had had time to react, but the several seconds needed for her to respond properly to the situation were seconds she simply didn't have. Her body required several moments to assimilate the powers she borrowed—particularly if she pulled a long term dose.

Fortunately she'd ripped enough of Blob's so that when Wolverine crashed into her the impact was damaging only to him. Rogue's molecular structure instantly began to rearrange itself solidifying her frame and making it immoveable as stone.

The absorption kicked in the instant they came together.

Rogue in her haste to break contact inadvertently accelerated the process so that in about three quick flashes Wolverine with a gasp and a groan lay stretched insensible on the ground.

Mystique smirked with a good deal of pleasure at what was undoubtedly a brutal exchange. She watched the Transference enjoying every agony with sardonic glee! But she couldn't enjoy herself too much! Jean was present. Although her morphing ability shielded her from most forms of telepathy there were still times when her mental shields failed. She couldn't risk Jean accidentally picking up on some stray thought that might give her away.

Never would _she_ let it be known that she'd actually helped the X-Men.

_She had a reputation to maintain._


	2. Chapter 8

Mystique stops

To Save a Rogue

Chapter 8

July 16, 2008

Mystique stopped.

Her yellow eyes go suddenly narrow.

As a thick fog suddenly rolled across Soho, blanketing the entire area in thick gloom.

"_Curses", _she snarls,_ "Ororo!"_

The fog spread out like water vapor, obscuring visibility to such and extent that Mystique who generally could see in complete darkness can't even find her hand in front of her let alone Wolverine who had ducked out sight and was no doubt somewhere waiting for her to come in search of him.

That cursed healing factor of his enabled him to recover quickly—quicker than she'd anticipated—from the Imprinting.

And Rogue had taken a pretty big dose of his power.

Whereas she could see nothing at all, Wolverine didn't need vision. His heightened sense of smell and especially his ability to hear long distances would alert the Feral to her whereabouts. Her rate of breathing, her heartbeat, her pulse rate, or even the stirring of the blood through her veins could give away her location.

That Canadian _rug_ could hear everything!

_Which meant_—

The shape shifter realized with a sudden chill:

That Rogue—now in possession of those same abilities—would be looking for her as well.

'_My, my', she mused sourly, 'This day just keeps getting better and better! And this' with a sneer, 'Is my reward for trying to help!_ _Philanthropy—what a crock of bologna!_'

She had to find their transport, gain height, and get the devil away from Soho. She had accomplished what she'd come for. The Transference was complete. No point being foolish. As for the rest of the Brotherhood—well under these rather distressing circumstances it was every man for himself. They'd have to take care of themselves.

At least _she_ would escape.

Wolverine—while his intuition would no doubt zero in on her malice and spite—for she _had _enjoyed watching him scream—he could never understand the feelings of a mother and her goodly intentions towards Rogue. And she seriously doubted he was in the mood to hear an explanation.

His blood was up.

She had seen the predatory look that had flashed into the man's eyes whenever he woke up and saw her and before this cursed fog had hidden him from view. Therefore if she wanted to be around for phase two of her scheme—it was time to bail!

Wolverine wasn't her only worry either. She wasn't a particular favorite with any of the X-Men—and after that business with Scott at Area 51 Jean had a particularly sour taste in her mouth right about now. The girl could cast telekinesis like sonar. The waves that bounced back would tell her where Mystique was hiding and there were too many loose objects lying around—objects that could easily be used as projectiles or as battering rams.

And Jean had a pretty long reach.

"_Mystique!"_

"_Quiet you fool",_ she hissed as Lance Alvers' heavy tread provoked movement out of a fallen light pole which suddenly launched itself in their direction, whizzing over their heads and hitting somewhere in front of them with a crash.

Jean had missed. That time.

"_I told you about Jean!"_

"But—

"_Scatter!"_

_Crash!_

A car plowed up yards of ground as the two mutants darted opposite directions to avoid it.

"Mystique", Avalanche whispered as he runs forward trying to keep up!

In answer to his inquiry the transport they'd come in fired suddenly to life.

"_Mystique! What are we doing?"_

"Oh er—nothing. Just—watch your back you know and all. It's dangerous out here!"

"_Mystique! Mystique!"_

She answered him. But not quite the way Avalanche had been anticipating. Her answer took the form of engines, and the roaring of a repulser lift which levitated the transport off the ground and into the air where it took to the skies and disappeared.

"Hey", bawled Toad picking his way up through the gloom, "Where she goin?"

"I know where I'm going", Avalanche snapped as he turned and took to his heels with the others in hot pursuit, "And if you got any sense you'll do the same!"

"They're gone."

Jean green eyes narrowed in concentration, as she cast her telepathy over the Square like sonar, as Wanda—shaking a fist and promising the sweetest torments by way of revenge—disappeared from view.

"What about Mystique", Zero-G asked?

"Long gone", Logan said appearing out from behind a blanket of fog the chief of which had now begun to roll away from off the Square.

"I didn't know Storm was here", Rogue said as she came up.

"She's not."

Jean shook her head as with eyes still narrowed she continues mentally to scan the area.

She stops.

The flicker of a presence flashes across her mind.

Then disappears as quickly.

She shakes her head doing another scan. Nothing.

"Ro can operate long distances ya know", Logan added, his nostrils wrinkled, his sharp ears and eyes doing his own version of surveillance to make sure that no one was watching.

"Oh yeah, right", said Rogue unconsciously copying his behavior. Together the three of them scanned the area for anything suspicious and found nothing.

_Only someone had been watching._

_They just didn't know it._

"She's still at the Mansion with Chuck", Logan continued finishing his scan, and completely oblivious to the lone figure that now separated itself from behind a pile of wreckage and disappeared off into one of the numerous alleys in Soho, his long cloak billowing out behind him.

"I don't understand", said Kurt, his blue brow wrinkled, "How my _moth_—I mean how Mystique got Juggernaut free to begin with?"

Jean—her concentration occupied—shook her head in reply.

"That wasn't Juggernaut we saw."

"What?"

"It was Mystique to begin with."

"How do you know?"

"It's not like Cain. With one exception—the Professor—He usually doesn't attack without provocation. In every other instance where he's caused this much damage the Police or the Military always attacked first."

"Uh-huh", said Logan his forefinger and thumb wrapping themselves round his chin.

"Another thing: Cain is raw power—raw energy which means that once he gains momentum no object can stop him. Today—and at a dead run I might add—he had to hit a brick wall _twice_ before he could plow through it!"

"Humph! And ta think I didn't even catch that."

"So it was her from the beginning", said Rogue, "But—why?"

Jean shook her head.

"I don't know."

"_So, another disturbance in the city today? Well, go on."_

"_A clash between the Brotherhood of Mutants and the X-Men."_

"_How—intriguing. And—what was the outcome?"_

"_The X-Men prevailed again—of course."_

"_I see. And you saw it yourself?"_

"_Yes, I was there. I saw everything."_

"_And no one knew you were present—not even Xavier?"_

"_No my Lord—not even him."_

"_Good. That means the genetic enhancements I've given you are working."_

"_Yes, mighty one, most admirably!"_

"_Hum; so of all the Mutant Groups that have emerged over the centuries it would appear that the X-Men will be our most formidable adversaries."_

"_Yes, Xavier has trained them well."_

"_Xavier's talents—I must admit—are most impressive. And it was he who kept and entire detachment of Policemen at bay—for several hours?"_

"_Yes, my Lord."_

"_Well, knowledge is power. And that bit of knowledge will prove most useful when the time comes."_

"_Erick Lehensherr—the one known as Magneto too has grown in power my Lord."_

_There is a pause._

"_Good. Then the time has come my friend, to finish what we've started. Time to open the second door."_

"_But are you certain Master? _

"_Events are shaping up. The situation is perfect; we may never have a better opportunity._

"_But—how can you—be sure?"_

"_I'm always sure Ethan!"_

"_I-I see. Well, I can procure the second key with ease. In fact I have a particular thief in mind to do the job."_

"_Good."  
" But stealing it is one thing. Using it to open the second _

_door is another. Beyond stealing the key Remy Lebeau's powers will be utterly useless and even with the genetic enhancements you've given me I have not the power."_

"_You won't need the power …..if you choose the right person for the job. As you have done before."_

"_But—the Gray girl—she's grown so much more powerful than when we used her before."_

"_And?"_

"_It's Xavier. He has intensified her training since then—particularly with a view to keeping me out of her head!"_

_The girl is powerful. Potentially more powerful than her Mentor in fact."_

"_And worse, that meddlesome shape shifter Mystique actually taught the girl how to link with Xavier's toy."_

"_With Cerebro?"_

"_Yes. And those few sessions by themselves—just the fleeting contact she's had with it— has caused her telepathy to expand. It would be too risky to try using her again."_

"_I can see that."_

"_It's too bad really. If I could control the girl I could possibly gain control of everyone else in the Xavier Institute. Except for the Wolverine—that adamantium on his skull shields him from my telepathy and that weather wielder—_

"_The one called Storm?"_

"_She's too dangerous! Her elemental powers—particularly her ability to wield lightning makes accessing her thoughts a little—deadly."_

"_Ah yes—the wind rider! I'll have to keep that in mind."_

"_So you can see my difficulty. Mystique's meddling has cost me the Gray girl's talents."_

"_Yes, Mystique. How did she manage to get that close to Jean Gray?"_

"_In part by impersonating Xavier himself."_

"_Oh?"_

"_The woman is resourceful. She has a cunning not to be underestimated."_

"_And when did this take place?"_

"_Back before our cover was blown—when our identity as Mutants was exposed to the world—and before the Xavier mansion was destroyed."_

"_Ah! Yes, I remember it well. Mystique has been of inestimable use to our little project then. Though she might not realize it. We will—speak of her again by and by my friend. Sooner than you think."_

"_As for the Gray girl—_

"_The Gray girl is of no further use to us. I have no interest in her."_

"_Then—Elisabeth Braddock perhaps?"_

"_Mediocre."_

"_Brainiac 5?"_

"_No."_

"_Esper?"_

"_Oh please."_

"_Emma Frost?"_

"_Too headstrong."_

"_Well—Emma Delaurio then?"_

"_She's a Telempath man not a Telepath!"_

"_Surely—surely you don't mean—not Jason?"_

"_Jason Stryker—that lunatic! He could end up controlling you!"_

"_Who then?"  
"The one that Xavier is trying so hard to save at present. That's who."_

"_Her—Marie? _

"_The one known as the Rogue."_

"_But—she's an—_

"_An Absorber?"_

The Mutant known as Mesmero started at this and stared away out into empty space towards the voice speaking inside his head.

What could his Master be thinking?

"_You object?"_

"_Well—yes, of course I object. Of what possible use to me is an Absorber?"_

"_An Absorber capable of imprinting the abilities, the life force, and the memories of anyone she touches and using them as her own for short periods of time!"_

The puppet stared aghast at the Puppet Master.

"_And I might add that once she gets past this phase of Acceleration, her powers will be greatly enhanced. Vast reservoirs of untapped mimicry lie within this girl and it is she that interests me Mesmero. It is her power that will one day serve our purposes."_

_There could be no arguing with that if his Master was right._

_And he usually was._

"_So, theoretically she could become more powerful than either Xavier or Gray—_

"_Or Lehensherr or Darkholme, or Munroe."_

As usual his Master had thought of everything.

"_Very well then", said Mesmero, "I shall begin—_

"_No."_

"_What?"_

"_Not now", the voice says sternly!_

"_But I don't underst—_

"_Interface with her now while Xavier's mind is linked with hers and you run the risk of blowing our entire operation. The man is already wary of you as it is."_

"_I didn't think of that."_

"_You'd better think about it. If he were to get so much as a hint of what you're up to he'd place mental blocks everywhere inside the girl's head. Mental barriers that not even I could get past— in my current—situation."_

"_I see."_

"_Not to mention the mental minefields that might be set for you in case you did manage to get in. I'm sure you don't want that."_

Mesmero shuddered at the thought, suddenly recalling his last encounter with Xavier. No, he was not willing to risk another encounter with one who might be perhaps the foremost Cerebral on the planet.

That day at the Carnival it had been his Master's power alone that had enabled him to withstand the mental jolts Xavier delivered when the two of them went mind to mind. And even then Xavier had succeeded in plucking from his thoughts enough information to make the other telepath wary. The little that he'd managed to get from him had made the man nervous enough spend all his spare time using Cerebro to look for him. Xavier was a mild man true but very sensitive about and protective of his students. That was the one button where even his Master treaded very carefully.

There was no saying how powerful the man could become if his spirit was roused—particularly if he were to link with Cerebro.

No, his Master was right. Better to leave the Rogue alone for now.

And wait.

He placed a hand over the bridge of his nose.

He was going to have a thundering headache when this interview was over.

"_Very good", his Master projects back over the airwaves, speaking mind to mind, "I see we both think alike on this matter Ethan. You have your instructions: Bide your time and wait."_

"_But—_

"_Yes?"  
"But—if we wait, won't she be like—too strong—_

"_Physically yes; mentally no. When this is over her mind will be very fragile and weak and her emotions raw. She'll be much more open to the power of suggestion—particularly at night when she falls asleep. That is when you will make your move and not before."_

"_But—what of the second key?"_

_There is a pause of several moments._

"_Oh I think—Erik Lehensherr will do nicely—for now."_

"_Him! Master!"_

"_Oh you needn't worry."_

"_But that helmet of his is designed to inhibit telepathy! And he's nowhere near as merciful as Xavier."_

"_I'll pull you out before he does you any—real—harm"_

"_But--_

"_If you bait the hook well he'll bite. In all his arrogance he won't be able to stop himself. And when it is all over and the key destroyed he'll be too busy mending his wounded pride to go after you. You'll be quite safe. I promised I'd protect you. And I will. Now get some sleep."_

Mesmero took a deep indrawn breath.

And then he exhaled.

The gates of his mind closed, bringing him back to the here and now and the confines of his back garret chamber with the painted walls and the high ceiling and the tiled floors.

He closed the window and climbed into bed.

With a malicious smile he switched off the light.

"_Understood—great Apocalypse."_


End file.
